Empress of Mijak

Plot summary

"Hekat will be slave to no man..."

And thus the first Godspeaker book begins. Hekat, a girl born no better than a slave to an unloving father who beats his wife. Who rapes her on the insistence that she should birth him more sons to plough the fields in a dry desert wasteland known as the Anvil. Food is scarce. A father who kills his own flesh and blood when it runs away, and who trades them to strange men for gold. Hekat...sold to slave traders Abajai and Yagji. Once sold, she begins her journey to south, through the wealthier, greener Mijak, to reach the traders' home city of Et-Raklion. Along the way, Abajai teaches her how to speak courteous Mijaki, how to dress, and how to sing and dance, and holds her away from the rest of the slaves. Hekat witnesses love for the first time, Abajai treats her as a human, until she realizes too late, to him she is just a slave; cattle that Abajai would fatten up to sell to Raklion, the warlord of Et-Raklion. A pretty slave that would fetch a good price from Raklion; a singing, dancing, educated courtesan.

Heartbroken, Hekat runs and joins Et-Raklion Warlord's army through the help of the nameless god, and pity to those who stand in her way, because Hekat will not be tamed. Hekat will be slave to no man.

She is in the god's eye, precious and beautiful.